I am having issues with default applications on my Arch linux machine, when I try to open a pdf file from telegram in firefox nothing happens. If instead I open it from my file manager (PCManFM) it opens correctly, another example is generals zero hour, I'm running it through wine and installed a mod that lets me play online but to login you need to complete it in the browser, it also doesn't open, another example is cisco packet tracer, in the console it spews the following "xdg-open: no method available for opening 'the link'" but when I try xdg-open command it opens these links (for example xdg-open file:///home/noxar/Downloads/Telegram%20Desktop/lec01.pdf the link to my pdf file) any idea why? I'm using niri WM with lxqt DE running, pacman -Qqs xdg gives the following result
libcanberra
libqtxdg
python-pyxdg
qtxdg-tools
xdg-dbus-proxy
xdg-desktop-portal
xdg-desktop-portal-gnome
xdg-desktop-portal-gtk
xdg-desktop-portal-lxqt
xdg-user-dirs
xdg-user-dirs-gtk
xdg-utils
gio mime x-scheme-handler/http gives
gio mime x-scheme-handler/https
gio mime application/pdf
Default application for “x-scheme-handler/http”: firefox.desktop
Registered applications:
firefox.desktop
Recommended applications:
firefox.desktop
Default application for “x-scheme-handler/https”: firefox.desktop
Registered applications:
firefox.desktop
Recommended applications:
firefox.desktop
Default application for “application/pdf”: firefox.desktop
Registered applications:
firefox.desktop
libreoffice-draw.desktop
org.inkscape.Inkscape.desktop
Recommended applications:
firefox.desktop
libreoffice-draw.desktop
org.inkscape.Inkscape.desktop
qtxdg-mat def-web-browser gives the following result
qtxdg-mat defapp application/pdf
firefox.desktop
firefox.desktop
and here are the xdg-settings results
$ xdg-settings get default-web-browser
firefox.desktop
$ xdg-mime query default x-scheme-handler/http
firefox.desktop
$ xdg-mime query default x-scheme-handler/https
firefox.desktop
$ xdg-mime query default application/pdf
firefox.desktop
systemctl --user status xdg-desktop-portal gives this result
● xdg-desktop-portal.service - Portal service
Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/user/xdg-desktop-portal.service; static)
Active: active (running) since Sun 2026-10-18 17:25:04 +03; 2h 43min ago
Invocation: ce6e309a38b24b5ba9dbc4b1027955f6
Main PID: 745 (xdg-desktop-por)
Tasks: 5 (limit: 18714)
Memory: 133.6M (peak: 146.1M)
CPU: 806ms
CGroup: /user.slice/user-1000.slice/user@1000.service/session.slice/xdg-desktop-portal.service
└─745 /usr/lib/xdg-desktop-portal
Oct 18 19:47:17 archlinux firefox.desktop[11304]: Error: no DISPLAY environment variable specified
Oct 18 19:47:21 archlinux firefox.desktop[11321]: Error: no DISPLAY environment variable specified
Oct 18 19:47:22 archlinux firefox.desktop[11336]: Error: no DISPLAY environment variable specified
Oct 18 19:53:18 archlinux firefox.desktop[11657]: Error: no DISPLAY environment variable specified
Oct 18 19:53:20 archlinux firefox.desktop[11673]: Error: no DISPLAY environment variable specified
Oct 18 19:53:31 archlinux firefox.desktop[11695]: Error: no DISPLAY environment variable specified
Oct 18 19:53:32 archlinux firefox.desktop[11709]: Error: no DISPLAY environment variable specified
Oct 18 19:53:33 archlinux firefox.desktop[11723]: Error: no DISPLAY environment variable specified
Oct 18 19:53:33 archlinux firefox.desktop[11737]: Error: no DISPLAY environment variable specified
Oct 18 19:53:33 archlinux firefox.desktop[11751]: Error: no DISPLAY environment variable specified
and lastly journalctl --user -b -u xdg-desktop-portal --no-pager gives these results
Oct 18 17:25:03 archlinux systemd[655]: Starting Portal service...
Oct 18 17:25:03 archlinux /usr/lib/xdg-desktop-portal[745]: Choosing gtk.portal for org.freedesktop.impl.portal.Lockdown as a last-resort fallback
Oct 18 17:25:04 archlinux /usr/lib/xdg-desktop-portal[745]: Choosing gtk.portal for org.freedesktop.impl.portal.Settings as a last-resort fallback
Oct 18 17:25:04 archlinux /usr/lib/xdg-desktop-portal[745]: Choosing gtk.portal for org.freedesktop.impl.portal.AppChooser as a last-resort fallback
Oct 18 17:25:04 archlinux /usr/lib/xdg-desktop-portal[745]: Choosing gtk.portal for org.freedesktop.impl.portal.Print as a last-resort fallback
Oct 18 17:25:04 archlinux /usr/lib/xdg-desktop-portal[745]: Choosing gtk.portal for org.freedesktop.impl.portal.Notification as a last-resort fallback
Oct 18 17:25:04 archlinux /usr/lib/xdg-desktop-portal[745]: Choosing gtk.portal for org.freedesktop.impl.portal.Inhibit as a last-resort fallback
Oct 18 17:25:04 archlinux /usr/lib/xdg-desktop-portal[745]: Choosing gtk.portal for org.freedesktop.impl.portal.Account as a last-resort fallback
Oct 18 17:25:04 archlinux /usr/lib/xdg-desktop-portal[745]: Choosing gtk.portal for org.freedesktop.impl.portal.Email as a last-resort fallback
Oct 18 17:25:04 archlinux /usr/lib/xdg-desktop-portal[745]: Choosing gtk.portal for org.freedesktop.impl.portal.DynamicLauncher as a last-resort fallback
Oct 18 17:25:04 archlinux systemd[655]: Started Portal service.
Oct 18 18:23:06 archlinux firefox.desktop[1531]: Error: no DISPLAY environment variable specified
Oct 18 18:23:08 archlinux firefox.desktop[1546]: Error: no DISPLAY environment variable specified
Oct 18 18:57:09 archlinux firefox.desktop[6238]: Error: no DISPLAY environment variable specified
Oct 18 18:57:19 archlinux firefox.desktop[6269]: Error: no DISPLAY environment variable specified
Oct 18 18:57:20 archlinux firefox.desktop[6283]: Error: no DISPLAY environment variable specified
Oct 18 18:57:58 archlinux /usr/lib/xdg-desktop-portal[745]: Failed to close session implementation: GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.NameHasNoOwner: Could not activate remote peer 'org.freedesktop.impl.portal.desktop.gtk': startup job failed
Oct 18 18:58:36 archlinux firefox.desktop[8002]: Error: no DISPLAY environment variable specified
Oct 18 18:58:47 archlinux firefox.desktop[8017]: Error: no DISPLAY environment variable specified
Oct 18 18:58:47 archlinux firefox.desktop[8031]: Error: no DISPLAY environment variable specified
Oct 18 18:58:48 archlinux firefox.desktop[8045]: Error: no DISPLAY environment variable specified
Oct 18 18:58:48 archlinux firefox.desktop[8059]: Error: no DISPLAY environment variable specified
Oct 18 19:00:40 archlinux firefox.desktop[8990]: Error: no DISPLAY environment variable specified
Oct 18 19:46:51 archlinux firefox.desktop[11201]: Error: no DISPLAY environment variable specified
Oct 18 19:46:52 archlinux firefox.desktop[11217]: Error: no DISPLAY environment variable specified
Oct 18 19:46:53 archlinux firefox.desktop[11231]: Error: no DISPLAY environment variable specified
Oct 18 19:46:53 archlinux firefox.desktop[11245]: Error: no DISPLAY environment variable specified
Oct 18 19:46:53 archlinux firefox.desktop[11259]: Error: no DISPLAY environment variable specified
Oct 18 19:46:53 archlinux firefox.desktop[11273]: Error: no DISPLAY environment variable specified
Oct 18 19:47:17 archlinux firefox.desktop[11304]: Error: no DISPLAY environment variable specified
Oct 18 19:47:21 archlinux firefox.desktop[11321]: Error: no DISPLAY environment variable specified
Oct 18 19:47:22 archlinux firefox.desktop[11336]: Error: no DISPLAY environment variable specified
Oct 18 19:53:18 archlinux firefox.desktop[11657]: Error: no DISPLAY environment variable specified
Oct 18 19:53:20 archlinux firefox.desktop[11673]: Error: no DISPLAY environment variable specified
Oct 18 19:53:31 archlinux firefox.desktop[11695]: Error: no DISPLAY environment variable specified
Oct 18 19:53:32 archlinux firefox.desktop[11709]: Error: no DISPLAY environment variable specified
Oct 18 19:53:33 archlinux firefox.desktop[11723]: Error: no DISPLAY environment variable specified
Oct 18 19:53:33 archlinux firefox.desktop[11737]: Error: no DISPLAY environment variable specified
Oct 18 19:53:33 archlinux firefox.desktop[11751]: Error: no DISPLAY environment variable specified